Garbiñe Muguruza has never been one for polite myths. As anticipation builds for Aryna Sabalenka’s exhibition clash with Nick Kyrgios, the former world No.1 has cut cleanly through the noise — and the conclusion is uncomfortable for anyone chasing a fantasy matchup.
With the Dubai showmatch between Sabalenka and Kyrgios being marketed as a modern-day “Battle of the Sexes,” comparisons between men’s and women’s tennis have surged again. Muguruza, now newly appointed co-director of the Madrid Open, was asked the question everyone dances around: at her peak, which male players could she realistically beat?
Her answer landed like a cold shower.
“As world No.1, I think even a junior beats me,” Muguruza said bluntly in an interview with El Partidazo de Cope. “I had lots of sparring partners. Every time I played a practice set, I got angry because I couldn’t believe I never won a set. And they weren’t even players fully dedicated to the pro tour.”
No hedging. No false equivalence. Just lived experience.
Power Is Only Part of the Gap
Muguruza was quick to stress that the difference goes far beyond serve speed or forehand weight. This, she says, is about physiology, endurance, and repeatable physical output over time — areas where even lower-ranked men carry an edge.
“It’s a huge difference,” she explained. “It’s not just power. Physically — muscle, stamina, what a man can sustain during a match. There are many factors.”
Her perspective is rooted in more than tour-level hypotheticals. Muguruza grew up hitting with her two older brothers, Asier and Igor, both competitive players who never came close to the professional elite. The result was always the same.
“I never beat them,” she said. “A man ranked around 1,000 in the world — or without any ranking at all — can clearly be superior to a Top 10 player on the WTA Tour.”
It is a statement that strips away marketing gloss and forces a reset of the conversation around exhibitions like Sabalenka versus Kyrgios.
Context for the Dubai Exhibition
The match, scheduled for December 28 in Dubai, pairs Sabalenka — a four-time Grand Slam champion and the dominant force of the past two WTA seasons — with Kyrgios, currently ranked outside the top 600 and lacking competitive rhythm. Despite that imbalance on paper, the event has been heavily promoted, with both players leaning into the spectacle rather than the sporting legitimacy.
Muguruza’s comments don’t diminish Sabalenka’s achievements. If anything, they underline them — excellence within women’s tennis on its own terms, not as a measuring stick against a different biological and competitive framework.
Madrid Calls — and Muguruza Answers
If Muguruza’s playing days are done, her influence on the sport is only broadening. The former world No.1 has been announced as the new co-director of the Madrid Open, joining Feliciano López in an unprecedented shared leadership structure for the combined WTA 1000 and ATP Masters 1000 event.
Her appointment was anything but ceremonial. After two seasons as tournament director of the WTA Finals in Riyadh — an event she famously won herself in 2021 — Muguruza left a strong impression on decision-makers in Madrid.
“Garbiñe’s incorporation is not a symbolic gesture. It is a conviction and a declaration of principles,” said tournament CEO Gerard Tsobanian. “We believe tennis leadership must be built from diverse, complementary perspectives with the same voice and the same weight. The experience of a Grand Slam champion like her has incalculable value.”
For Madrid, it is a statement of intent. For Muguruza, it is a homecoming with authority.
From Centre Court to the Office
Muguruza has never hidden how much the Madrid tournament means to her. Speaking to Marca, she described the role as a long-held ambition, rooted as much in identity as prestige.
“It was always a dream for me because it is the only tournament we women have at home,” she said. “And it’s a 1000 category, which makes it very important. It’s an honor to be part of it in another scope — now off the court and more in the office, as they say.”
Her transition into leadership has been unusually smooth. Alongside Madrid, she will continue her work as director of the WTA Finals and as a Tennis Channel analyst, roles she insists are compatible rather than conflicting.
“The tournaments are different and at different times,” Muguruza explained. “The Finals is only 24 players. It’s small compared to the magnitude of the Mutua Madrid Open. They don’t compete at all.”
It is a modern portfolio career — built on credibility, not nostalgia.
A Leader Among Peers — and One Last Dream
At just 32, Muguruza already carries rare leadership capital: recent enough to understand players’ needs, established enough to command respect. Her time in Riyadh has kept her close to the locker room, often working with players from her own generation — Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula — and even veterans older than herself in the doubles field.
“That closeness helps,” Muguruza said. “I’m a former player who retired recently. I can take care of them and make sure they have everything they need.”
And if she has her way, Madrid may yet host one more piece of tennis history. Asked about Serena Williams’ recent re-entry into the ITIA testing pool — a move that briefly reignited comeback rumors — Muguruza allowed herself a smile.
“It wouldn’t be bad if the Williams sisters said goodbye in Madrid,” she said. “The stadium fills up. We want the Williams sisters to say goodbye here.”
It is telling. Muguruza may speak with surgical honesty about the limits of the sport, but she still understands its magic — and now, from the director’s chair, she is in a position to help shape it.
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